Fate's Fickle Hand
by Kiera27
Summary: Harry finally won the war only to realize that nothing remained, but he trudged on. Others however chose not to let it rest and took it upon theirselves to change history with a little help from a fickle fate. Rating just in case.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Another bunny joins my farm. Hopefully it will play well with the others.**

* * *

Harry stared that the fallen form of Voldemort in stunned disbelief with his wand hanging limply in his hand as the wind blew through the desolate field of battle. After years of fighting this horrible creature both with and without a body it was finally over. At twenty five years old he was finally free of the prophecy and could live his life the way that he wanted to without worrying about this thing hunting him down.

He looked around at the field of bodies and realized a very haunting truth; he was the only one left standing. The final battle had settled upon them without warning, one minute they were going over the escape plans that needed to be put into place in case of another raid by the Death Eaters and the next they were all fighting for their lives against the full forces of the enemy. Harry had been so focused on taking as many Death Eaters on his way to Voldemort that he hadn't paid attention to anything else. Now he stood among the dead without a single survivor from either side to share in the victory, once again he was the only one that survived.

He couldn't even process what that meant as he pulled what little magic that he had left after the grueling battle to apparate to one of the manors that he had inherited from his mother's side of the family, who knew that his mother came from a squib line that rivaled the Malfoys? He ignored the house elves that immediately tried to ask them what they could do for him and fell into his bed with a tired sigh that rang through his bones as his nightmares pulled him away from reality.

Harry never could have imagined that the war that he had been fighting almost as long as he could remember would have turned out the way that it had. Shortly after he had lost Sirius he had thrown himself into the books, trying to learn everything that he could to make sure that no one had to go through the same thing that he had. It wasn't until half way through his sixth year that things decided to throw him for one hell of a loop.

The attacks were starting to increase in intensity and it seemed that everyone was more than happy to put all of the blame on his shoulders for not stopping Voldemort. He took it without complaint and tried to put his guilt aside and do what he had to do until one night he decided to wander around the castle under his invisibility cloak and happened upon a meeting that turned his entire world upside down.

It was one of the empty classrooms that a lot of the older students used to have some 'alone' time and at first Harry thought that that was what was going on until he got close enough to recognize the voices and his heart almost stopped in his chest.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I keep putting those potions in his drinks but nothing is happening. He should be falling all over me and he hardly looks my way." Ginny was pacing in front of Ron and Hermione with a look on her face that reminded Harry of Bella so strongly that he had to take a step back to regroup. "We need to find a stronger potion. I want to be Mrs. Potter and have all of that money to spend on anything I want as soon as he dies defeating He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

Hermione looked at Ginny with a pitying look that was clearly faked. "Ginny, there is no stronger love potion, we've tried them all. Either the little brat is immune to them or he's immune to you."

Ginny swiveled around and pinned Hermione with a look that could almost match Snape. "What the hell do you mean by that?! No one else I've screwed has had a problem with me."

Ron's face turned a bit green while Hermione looked completely unaffected. "Harry has never so much as looked at a female with anything more than mild interest, even Cho was just a vague interest. The little freak is probably a fag. Ron would probably have a better chance than you do, but that may not be such a bad thing." The look on Ginny's face at that was almost comical. "He's way too uptight about having his social life on the front page so it's more than likely that no one will ever find out that he's a fag. After he dies we will be able to claim that he was going to propose to you and there won't be anything to disprove it, especially with how close everyone thinks the Weasleys are to him. All you need to do is make sure that people see you with him as often as possible, it doesn't matter if you're actually going out so long as everyone thinks that you are."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry had made sure to let everyone in the school know that he wouldn't touch Ginny with a twenty foot pole after that though he made sure that no one knew that he was the one that put that fact out, Colin was more than happy to make sure that everyone knew what a trollop she was by dinner the next day.

Harry also made sure to break away from the other two thirds of the Golden Trio as discretely as possible which was pretty easy when they spent more time trying to swallow each other whole than anything else, disgusting. He had found new friends in Neville and Luna until they both followed him further than Ron and Hermione would have ever followed him and paid the price in blood.

The house elves of the Taures family were more than a little concerned with the health of their Master. When he had first shown up as a seventeen year old each of them had noticed that he was far too small and that shadows lingered behind his eyes. They had tried to help him but he was standoffish but polite and seemed to have little to no concern for his own wellbeing. They added nutrient potions to his food and tried to do their best to make him comfortable as he came and went from the house doing who knows what with those suspicious wizards and witches. They had learned that he was the one that many other house elves called the Great Harry Potter but he was their master first and foremost. When he had come into the house this time they knew that the war that he sometimes yelled about in his sleep was over but he looked no better then he had during the height of the violence.

They knew that their master wasn't going to last very long with the way that he was treating himself; he wouldn't eat, wouldn't sleep, and refused to leave the library where he spent most of his time memorizing every book he could get his hands on as if trying to loose himself in the words. They also knew that there was very little that they could do to help him with their powers but that there were others who could help and they would do anything to make their master happy no matter what they had to do to do it.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If anyone would have happened upon the habitat of the most dangerous dragons on a certain night of power they would have witnessed the largest gathering of magical creatures to ever take place in all of recorded history.

"Why should we help out a wizard of all things, they are ignorant and rude with no respect for anyone that isn't another witch or wizard?" The outcry was echoed by many in the crowd before the meeting had even truly begun.

"Our master is not like the other wizards, he is kind to all magical creatures and treats everyone the same." The head house elf, Tingly, was the one that spoke as she was the one with the best speech. "Our master is the greatest wizard of them all, Harry Potter, the defeater of the Dark One."

The crowd went silent as they contemplated this; the young man was one of the only wizards that didn't seem to see magical creatures as lower beings. Most thought that magical creatures were somehow inferior and that they needed to be corralled like cattle and made to serve their 'betters'.

Veela were kept as pets and concubines by those wizards that served as the elite and were hardly ever given the chance to find their soul mates which normally ended in their death. Werewolves were treated like rabid animals and sterilized and sometimes killed without a single thought to the fact that they used to be human. Vampires were in much the same position and no other magical creature could say that they had it any better in the long run.

"The boy is a rare one and the other wizards would no doubt prefer to leave him to rot than to help someone that holds more power than they do." The voice came from a member of the Fae who seemed to be looking at something that no one else could see, one could never tell with a Fae. "We should give him our gifts to use in a retelling of his story, one where he will choose his own path with knowledge of where things really stand."

"You speak of remaking the world and the boy in our own image; you speak of things that are forbidden by his peers." The raspy voice of the Lord of the Dementers was oddly soothing. "He will be the Lord of us all, he will be more than any could dream and the power might be too much for a human mind to handle."

The Fae's giggle rang through the clearing and the Dementer Lord shivered at the power behind it as did many of the darker creatures. "We shall send the powers to his birth so they are apart of his body and send his mind to a later date so he they are just another part of who he is. He will be everything this world needs to return to the way that it needs to be and it is the only way that he will find happiness and give it to us in return." The Fae's voice hitched slightly and she took a moment to look every member of the meeting in the eye. "We are not happy the way that we are now just as he is not happy. We need someone to give us order, someone to help and protect us, and someone that we can all help and protect. The Dark Lord was supposed to be that person but he was twisted by the old man and lost the way but with Harry we will have our Lord and perhaps things that should never have been will be undone."

No being could argue that something needed to be done and so the meeting turned into a ritual that would change the very fate of the world and would either make or break the future of all magical races. The powers of all present combined and the world spun backwards as one Harry James Potter slept in the peace of his home for the first time in months, not knowing the lengths that the magical creatures had gone to make sure that he found happiness and that things turned out the way that they were supposed to.

* * *

**Review and let me know what you think.**


	2. Aware and not so Happy

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**This chapter kind of ran away with me.**

* * *

My head felt like it was full of little men with pickaxes that were oh so merrily whacking away at my brain. I groaned as I pulled myself into a sitting position and froze in shock. I would recognize these dirty walls and the thread bare blanket that covered me anywhere; I'm in the cupboard under the stairs.

I held my hands up and groaned as I realized that I was tiny again. Of course, I never managed to get nearly as tall as the other boys in my year, I barely made it to five foot six, but now I'm back to being the smallest person on the block. Just as I was about to hyperventilate I heard the telltale signs of Petunia waking up for the day and came to the conclusion that I had to have been sent to my younger self in the past because the entire Dursley family was killed several years before the final battle when they refused to allow me to move them somewhere else for their own safety. I should be even more unhinged with that knowledge but I am the Boy-Who-Lived and nothing that's impossible is going to pass up the opportunity to occur in my lifetime.

Every morning Petunia carefully slides out of the bed that she shares with her whale husband, being very careful not to wake him as he rattles the bed with the force of his snores. She changes from the floral cotton nightgown that she's had since they got married and into one of the many day dresses that look like they came out of the latest issue of _Housewives United_ and takes just a bit of time to apply some makeup and to twist her stringy blond hair into its sever bun. After all that is finished she makes her way slowly down the stairs, skipping the second and tenth stair, and raps on my cupboard door three times before opening it with a sneer. "Get out of that cupboard you lazy little freak and make breakfast for my Diddiums and Vernon. You had better not burn the bacon or you won't get anything."

* * *

Petunia was not a kind woman by any means and she was more than aware of that. She knew that it wasn't the boy's fault that he was born a freak or that his mother had been one but every time that she looked into those green eyes she could hardly contain the hate that flowed through her. She ordered him into the kitchen like always and watched as he moved with a grace that only made her anger grow hotter as she hovered over him and barked out orders.

When she was a child Lily had been one of her only friends, most of the other children were spiteful and made fun of the way that she looked. Lily had been her confidant and had always been there to share all of her secrets and dreams, until that letter had come.

At first their parents had thought that it was some kind of prank but after that professor showed up and showed them that it wasn't they were so happy about having a witch in the family. Petunia had pleaded with Lily to stay with her and not leave to go to that school for nine months of every year with all of those freaks but Lily didn't even pay attention to her. Even after that Petunia had thought that Lily would see the error of her ways and wouldn't go back after the first year but Lily not only went back but stopped spending time with Petunia over the summers so that she could finish all of her freak work.

It was then that Petunia had started to go to the church down the street hoping to find someone who thought that magic was every bit as horrible as she did. She fell into the faith without even glancing back and started to think of Lily not as her sister but as a possessed heathen that had given herself to Satan. It gave her a reason to hate, a reason to block out all of the good times and remember only the bad.

The most crushing blow to her pride had been when she had announced her engagement to Vernon, not the most handsome man, but he was more than able to provide for her. Minutes after she had announced her wedding Lily had told her all about the rich handsome James Potter that had asked her out for ages that she had finally started to date him. Lily's eventual wedding was twice as big and beautiful as the ceremony that Petunia had had and her hate boiled.

She had hoped that in having Dudley she would finally have something over Lily, surely heathens couldn't have a child as perfect as her own? Lily had beamed with joy when she brought the little devil by and Petunia had been livid though she had hid it, like always, and looked at the child that her heathen sister had brought into the world.

Her Dudley was her pride and joy but even she knew that he was not going to be an Adonis. Even as a baby he was rather portly, like his father, and from the way that he was already eating solid foods it would be a miracle if he stayed under a hundred pounds before too long. But she still thought that any child her sister would have would hardly be able to stack up in the long run and she had been proven wrong yet again.

The child was absolutely beautiful even to her jaded eyes. The wild black hair that topped his head was untidy but it almost seemed to be purposeful and gave him a sense of playfulness that her son lacked. His features were soft and of good proportions and while being slightly underweight he still radiated health without being chunky. It was the eyes that really got to Petunia though. Her own son had very few of her features but Lily's son had more of Lily's features then his father's features and his eyes were the best example. They were the same iridescent emerald green that she had always envied her sister for and they shined with the same startling intelligence.

It was the last nail in the coffin, so to speak, for Petunia and the meeting between sisters ended in tears as Petunia lost her temper and told her heathen sister exactly what she thought about her and her devil child. She made sure that her sister knew that she never wanted to see her again and that she was no longer a sister to Petunia Dursley.

When the child had ended up on her doorstep with nothing but a blanket and a letter addressed to her in an unfamiliar script she had wanted to do nothing but leave the child with the nearest orphanage and be done with it but the letter had ended those thoughts quickly. The letter was from the head freak of the school that took Lily away from her and left her no doubts that if she tried to get rid of the little freaky baby there would be hell to pay. She had taken the baby in and provided only the minimum amount of care to keep it alive while trying to find a way to squash the magic out of him. If he didn't get that blasted letter at eleven he was normal and she would have no problem giving him the second bedroom of Diddiums but she already knew that he would be just like her sister.

* * *

I worked almost mechanically under the hawk like stare that, no matter how long I have been subjected to it, still feels far too invasive. Cooking was one of the few things that I was forced to do at the Dursleys that I actually enjoy, it gives me time to think as the food that they ate most of the time was easy enough to cook that I didn't need to pay too much attention unless they decided to have something special. I certainly needed the time to think right now.

Somehow I managed to land myself in the past, in my child body. Okay, that wasn't exactly something that I was expecting to happen but then again, nothing normal happens to me if it can help it so it's not really that much of a surprise. What I need to do now is figure out where I'm going to go from here.

The calendar on the wall proudly proclaimed that I was officially six years old as of three days ago which meant it would be another five years before Hagrid would be sent to fetch me and I would be told about the wizarding world. I could simply let it play out like it did the first time and keep my head down until Hogwarts or I could take the opportunity to change the way things happened. Of course I would have to be careful not to tip my hand too early, or I would risk losing the advantage of knowing what was going to happen before it did.

The first thing that I needed to do was find a way to get to Diagon Alley while keeping the Dursleys from finding out that I left the house. It would be simple enough to get there, apparation would be written off as a case of accidental magic, but keeping the Dursleys from finding out when they worked me from dawn to dusk under Petunia's unwavering gaze would be next to impossible. Perhaps if I apparated from my cupboard during the night I would be able to slip out unnoticed, after all Dumbledore didn't add the apparation wards until I started Hogwarts and my address had to be disclosed to the Board of Governors, Lucius Malfoy among them.

I doled the piping hot food onto the three plates with twice as much ending up on Vernon and Dudley's plates just as the two whales made it down the stairs and Petunia sat primly in her seat with an upturned nose and a sniff of distain. I stepped back and crossed my arms behind my back with my head tilted downward in the pose that I remembered as the one that they always preferred and waited for them to finish to eat whatever they decided to leave behind, which probably wouldn't be much if anything. I was right of course, the only thing that I got was the half eaten toast from Petunia's plate and the grapefruit pieces that the males out right refused to lay a hand on. That was the extent on my breakfast with a glass of water to flush it down.

I didn't waste any time after the whales and the horse exited the room, eating my small breakfast as quickly as I could before waiting patiently until the sounds of Vernon's new car faded into the distance and the front door slammed with Dudley yelling that he was going to go over to Pier's house for a while reached my ears. I made my way to the living room to have a list of chores shoved into my hands before being told to get to work by an angrier than usual Petunia. The list was long and filled with things that no one else my size should have ever been expected to do and if I was still the same little boy that I had been the first time it would likely have been next to impossible but now I am a adult wizard in a child's body. Every time that I escaped the acid like glare that Petunia seemed to save just for me I used the bare minimum amount of magic to speed the process of the chores just a bit, enough to help me get them done but not enough to alert my loving aunt that there was anything wrong. The best part is that the morons at the Ministry would write everything off as accidental magic.

* * *

"Sir, there have been thousands of reports of accidental magic registering at 4 Privet Drive in the last several weeks." The secretary had drawn the short stick so to speak and was now the third person sent to tell Fudge about the bursts. He was in the middle of a meeting with a couple of shady looking individuals but the amount of magic coming from the area was starting to throw up red flags for all of the workers in the records room. The only reason for a child to have that many outbursts was if they were being mistreated and that simply couldn't be allowed.

Fudge gave her the same look that the others had received and no doubt shoo her off but one of the men sitting in front of him raised a hand and stopped Fudge in his tracks before giving her a look that seemed to bare her soul. "If I am not mistaking the only reason that so much magic would be used by a child is if the child's life was in mortal peril on a regular basis, yes?"

The man's accent made his words roll out in a way that was both pleasant and disarming. "Yes, it is the belief of everyone in the records department that the child is being abused by his guardians and while normally we would pull the child's records ourselves and handle it, this particular child's files are sealed and we need the Minister's approval to pull them."

She could almost see the sweat starting to form on Fudge's brow as the man stared at him with those eyes and the other person in the room stared just as intensely before a distinctly feminine voice cut through the air like a knife causing chills to run up and down her spine. "This is likely not the first time that they have sought to have this poor child's records. Does this mean that you approve of the abuse of an obviously magical child who is in the custody of non-magical beings as their magic is so easy to sense? Are you the kind of man that would allow lesser beings to harm one of our own just because they are magical?'

Fudge flinched violently at the accusations that flew and him and now the sweat was really pouring from him liberally. "It is not my decision, the boy there has a magical guardian who has ordered those files sealed and desires for the boy to spend his childhood within that house with the full backing of the Wizarding Gamut. There is nothing that I can do without a convening of the Gamut and the person that holds the rights to the boy's files has too much power there for me to have any affect."

The male shady character seemed to recline in thought before sitting up straight with a manic gleam in his eyes. "The only person with enough power in that foolish excuse for a court is Dumbledore and the only child that he would want such complete control over is Harry Potter. So you are saying that he wishes for the boy to live with hateful muggles for the entirety of his childhood, how interesting."

* * *

I hate being a child! The cupboard had become a sanctuary once again as I cuddled with the flattened pillow and I allowed my magic to slide though my body and heal the wounds internally while leaving the outside discoloration in place. I had always wondered why I never struck out at Vernon the first time I was a child and now I knew why and Dumbledore was going to pay. The wards on the house were varied and none of them were particularly useful for him. The most prominent were the standard ministry wards that monitored the use of magic of underage wizards that were only used if the child lived with muggles, if you were a pureblood you could practice magic all you wanted and they wouldn't be the wiser. The wards that were supposed to protect him from the forces of evil were barely there at all, mere wisps of vapor that probably couldn't protect him from a dark natured fly. The one that really pissed him off was the only true protection ward on the property; it was a ward to protect the Dursleys from my magic. No matter how much I wanted to use my magic to harm them it wouldn't be able to so much as stub their toe. The only reason that I was able to blow up Marge that one summer was because she wasn't actually harmed in the process though it was certainly enjoyable. The last ward was to keep wizarding mail from making it to the house unless it was approved by Dumbledore himself.

The Dursleys were much like they were the first time through; mean and hateful, though Petunia seemed to be even more antagonistic than usual. I did my chores in silence and managed to get them all done but nothing was enough for Petunia. She would make up another chore that hadn't been on the list that I didn't get done just to make sure that I was punished and that I didn't get dinner. The first time I had at least gotten a dinner every couple of days at least. At this rate I won't even make it to five feet this time if I make it to Hogwarts at all. Something has to give or I'll have to make a run for it and leave any advantage that I have in the dust.

* * *

The man watched in the shadows as the horse like woman strutted through the shopping area like she owned the place while many of the people around her looked at her as if she was something on the bottom of their shoe. Something about her made his skin crawl and he knew that he had the right woman. He followed her until she entered a relatively empty part of the shopping area and pulled her into a darkened alley while casting a silencing charm on the woman. "Hush now, we wouldn't want anyone to come along and find you dead in this alley now would we?" The struggling abruptly stopped and he finished dragging her into the darkness before they both disappeared with a soft pop that drew no attention from the people bustling through the shopping area.

* * *

I knew that there was something very wrong the moment that Petunia walked through the door after her weekly trip to the downtown shopping center that she loved so much. The first thing that tipped me off was the fact that she was home almost a full three hours before she normally even thought about coming home and she seemed somewhat dazed, almost as if she didn't quite know what was going on and was having a hard time trying to understand anything. She entered the house without a word and moved to the living room without so much as glancing at me and sat in front of the television and stared at the screen without flinching.

When I tried to find the reason in her mind it turned out to be hazy and blank. She had been obliviated recently and whoever had done it was a master at the art. Hopefully it wasn't one of Voldemort's followers but I know better than to get my hopes up. I sighed and returned to scrubbing the wooden floors next to the entryway. There was very little that I could do about it without ruining my entire advantage and I have no idea if this same thing happened the first time and I just didn't know about it.

Everything after that was just the way that I remembered it with the open hostility, chores and beatings that I remembered though this time I was able to keep myself from the worst of it with the small amounts of magic that the wards allowed me to have. I quickly forgot about the day that Petunia had been magically accosted until a couple of months later when a very rapid and unfriendly knock sounded at the door and I was ordered to open it and tell whoever was there that we did not want any.

* * *

**Review and let me know what you think.**


	3. The Changed, but not Changed

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Sorry for the wait, my muses seem to be keen on disobeying at the moment and life is not helping matters in the least.**

* * *

The moment that I opened the door I found myself face to face with a man that couldn't be confused with anything but a wizard with the overwhelming sense of power that rolled off of him in waves with a woman following him that gave off a similar feeling herself. My knees weakened slightly before I was able to pull myself together. "I am very sorry sir and madam but the man of the house is not expecting any guests and does not speak to salesmen." I tried to keep the waver out of my voice as their magic reached out and almost seemed to caress my cheek. "He requests that you leave and do not return."

I made to shut the door but the man reached out with surprising speed and stopped it before it even got close to the doorjamb. "I am afraid that I must insist on meeting with the 'man' of the house." He didn't wait for an answer before he swept pass me and into the house while the woman gave me a slightly sympathetic look before following at a much more sedate pace. I sighed as I followed them with my head hanging low, hopefully this didn't blow up, though my hopes aren't that high.

* * *

I made it to the living room just in time to see Vernon practically fly out of his seat with spittle already coming out of his mouth. "What the hell are you doing walking into my home!? Boy, I told you to send this trash away."

The man's lip curled as if he had come across something particularly disgusting and wasn't quite sure what to do with it. "The boy made me aware that you were not accepting guests but I am no ordinary guest and decided to ignore such warnings." The man looked back at me and I made very sure to look at the floor and nowhere near his eyes. "My name is of no importance in the grand scheme of things but you should know that I am here to check on the wellbeing of your nephew on behalf of all of the magical world."

I couldn't hold back the wince as the 'm' word flew from the stranger's mouth, causing Vernon to see red. "I will not have your kind spreading your filth around my house. You will leave this moment or I will call the authorities and have you thrown in prison." Vernon's entire face lit up in a sickly puce color that made my stomach roll unpleasantly. "The government should put all of you unnatural beings to the death to save normal people from your taint."

The man remained quiet and still throughout the entire rant but his magic twisted around him like a snake that was coiling for the final blow. "Now, now Mr. Dursley, it wouldn't do for your neighbors to hear you screaming like a banshee about my unnaturalness." The living room became silent as a grave. "I am here to check on the welfare of young Mr. Potter and from what I have already heard and seen I can only come to the conclusion that he is not being treated in a way that befits his station and power. The Minister of Magic may be content to allow this treatment to continue but I am not of the same mind and would prefer to not only remove the boy from your less than adequate care but also leave this neighborhood quieter than I found it."

In a reflex that I didn't even know that my body still had I managed to grab his dominant hand before he could follow through with the implied threat that Vernon hadn't quite understood. "They may not be the most loving of relatives by anyone's terms but they are my family." The man looked down at me for a moment with a slightly startled look on his face before nodding at looking back at Vernon with a look that I couldn't quite decipher.

"You should be very thankful that the boy has far more compassion for you than you have shown him. It is my right to take this matter up with the Family Relations department at the Ministry which would no doubt lead to your arrest and subsequent stay in Azkaban prison, but no muggle has ever lived past the first night of their stay." The man tilted his head to the side for a minute or two while Vernon silently fumed and Petunia huddled on the couch with Dudley. "Perhaps it would be best if I simply made life infinitely easier for young Harry while he is in your care."

The wand movements for the Imperious curse were ones that I am infinitely comfortable with and I probably could have stopped him but having slightly nicer relatives wouldn't hurt my advantage if I played things right. I watched with curiosity as the man went from one Dursley to the next laying out an entire lifetime worth of commands that would make sure that they would never lay another hand on me nor would they command me to complete a single chore. The man was certainly thorough if nothing else.

Unfortunately enough, for the both of them anyway, neither one of them kept one eye on me and ended up leaving the house with a much altered frame of mind as well as a couple new memories.

* * *

The next year with the Dursleys was one that I never would have dreamed possible the first time through my life. The Imperious' power did not fade with the caster's lack of presence or memory and the Dursleys were treating me like a member of the family and not something that needed to be brushed under the rug in shame. It was something that I more than welcomed but it came with the knowledge that they were only being nice to him because they were spelled to. It did allow for more freedom to make sure that I was ready for anything by the time that I entered Hogwarts.

The library became a sanctuary that I was more than happy to occupy for most of my free time. It quickly got to the point that every librarian knew me by name and didn't even blink as I checked out books that were quite clearly above what my age suggested that I should be reading. She became a constant fixture in my life as I struggled to make sure that I was ready for anything that came my way so that nothing would turn out the way that it had the first time.

The letter for Hogwarts arrived several years later with much less fanfare than it had the first time that I got it. Vernon barely even glanced at it before shoving it back at me with a grunt. "I'll take you into London on the way to work but you'll have to find your own way back." Over the years the Imperious weakened slightly but they were still at least somewhat better than they used to be.

I quickly got everything that I thought I might need from my bedroom before rushing downstairs and out to Vernon's car just in time to get in before he peeled out of the driveway and toward London. The ride was a silent one as Vernon seethed over some grievance that he had with something on the news or someone at work under his breath as I kept my head down and waited to be dropped off.

I barely managed to clear the door and close it before he took off like the hounds of hell were chasing him to work. The reminder of magic is probably putting a lot of strain on the Imperious. Hopefully it will last long enough for me to get on the train to Hogwarts without too much trouble.

I stood for another moment as he disappeared from sight and sighed before turning toward where I knew that the Leaky Cauldron stood and started walking. Hopefully the changes that I had made to my appearance would be enough to give me a little peace of mind.

All I had really done was change my hair by making it longer, I should have known that making my hair grow back the first time through wasn't coincidence, and turning it more of a reddish black. It covered the scar so no one should recognize me yet when added to the fact that I had managed to correct my vision with the help of one of the medical books at the library should make this a painless trip. Hopefully I will be able to slip through this trip without having a dozen witches trying to hug me or even more men trying to congratulate me on making it 'back'.

"Excuse me, my aunt told me to ask a man named Tom to show me how to get into Diagon Alley, she doesn't have any magic so she just dropped me off." I made sure not to lean too far back so the hair would still cover my scar but I could still see Tom clearly as he polished the bar top. I had actually tried to move the scar but it was definitely a stubborn little thing.

Tom looked around before finally looking down at me. My height was every bit as stunted as it had been before, the damage was probably done when I was first dropped off at the Dursleys'. "Well hello there little one. I would be more than happy to show you the way but aren't you a bit young to be heading off to Hogwarts?"

I couldn't quite stop the cringe as he started to lead me to the back while glancing over his shoulder every couple of moments. "I'll turn eleven soon and I just got my letter, I'm just short."

The man's booming laugh echoed through the rather tight corridor and lasted until he had tapped the proper order onto the bricks. "Well young man, welcome to Diagon Alley."

* * *

**Review and let me know what you think.**


	4. Gringotts Greed

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

**Sorry for the wait. This is mostly the start of the wizarding world introduction and the beginning of the changes but the specifics of what happened when he was sent back is still a ways off.**

* * *

No matter how many times I can recall walking into Diagon Alley, its just as impressive as that very first time. There was no acting required as I stared around the alley in wonder. Witches and wizards were bustling around, many of them with their children, from shop to shop without a care in the world other than whatever they needed to shop for. There was no tension in the air or fear clogging the air. This was the way that the alley should have always stayed and will if I have any say in it.

"Well young man, your school supplies won't buy themselves." The look on Tom's face was one of amusement and a touch of wistfulness. "You should head to that rather tall white building down the way, it's the wizarding bank called Gringotts. The Goblins can exchange any muggle money you have so you can get all of your supplies. They're a little scary at first but they know what their doing."

"Thank you very much sir." I managed a quick little bow before running off toward Gringotts without a second glance backwards. As long as I am stuck in the body of a child, I might as well make the most of it.

* * *

Years of avoiding Dudley and Death Eaters made dodging flighty wizards and witches rather simple and more than a bit entertaining and it took very little time to reach the stairs of Gringotts in all their glory. I never could get over how the goblins made the building look like it was about to topple over and yet it was the strongest building in the alley. Most of the wizards and witches making their way into the bank glance once at the poem on the side of the doors, once at the goblin guards and then headed right into the bank without looking anywhere other than the floor. I stood still for several moments just watching witches and wizards shuffle into the bank before walking up to the doors, bowing lightly to the goblin guards and entering the bank.

Everything on the inside was every bit as opulent as it had been the first time through. Every wall was coated with gold and precious gems were placed into the walls and furniture with an amazing amount of spells to keep them from getting scratched or stolen by a less than intelligent wizard. The goblins were each at their stations, counting gems and money while intimidating any wizards or witches that 'interrupted' their work.

I had to almost run to get up to the nearest free goblin and waited patiently for him to acknowledge me, it wasn't long at all before he sat the gems to the side and gave me his full attention. "What can I do for you today?"

"I am going into my first year at Hogwarts and I would like to get money out of my vault but I do not have the key nor have I ever even seen it." The goblin seemed rather put out at that, no goblin liked to hear that one of their customers did not have their key, it was a matter of pride that only the vault bearer was given a key.

"Name please?" The goblin pulled out a rather unique looking rolodex and looked at me impatiently.

"Harrison James Potter." The goblin's hand stilled on the rolodex and his eyes widened as he leaned heavily over the counter to get a better look at me. I moved the hair from in front of the oh so famous scar and he leaned back in shock.

"Mr. Potter there is obviously much that needs to be discussed and I am sure that your account manager will have much to answer to." The goblin spoke lowly and gestured to a very large, ornate gold door. "If you head through this door and open the door at the very end you will be in the office of the head of Gringotts, he will be able to sort out this 'oversight'."

* * *

Ragnorak was having a rather ordinary if somewhat boring day overall. The wizards were poking their heads where they didn't belong, as usual, and somehow managing to make taking care of other wizards money look difficult. The Ministry had insisted that all account managers had to be wizards and witches because having a non-human manager made them uncomfortable, hah. The managers couldn't manage their way out of a paper bag but there was little the goblins could do without proof that the human was doing something against wizarding law and consent from the person the account belonged to. Of course a wizard or witch could decide to have a goblin look after their personal accounts but not many were smart enough to do so.

He was startled out of his daily inner rant when the door to his office creaked open just a touch and a small form entered quickly before the door swung back shut. The young wizard looked just a touch nervous as he looked around before making his way up to Ragnorak's desk and surprising him with a light bow. "Good day sir. I was told to come here and talk to you about my account as I have never received my key and have never seen it."

"What is the name on the account?" It was a grave offense to keep a key away from the heir whether the Lord was still alive or not.

"My name is Harrison James Potter and I have lived with my muggle relatives ever since the death of my parents." Ragnorak could feel the rage building, it was bad enough to have an heir left without a way to access their funds but to have one of the wealthiest families with holdings in Gringotts not only left with muggles but also left without any true knowledge of the money under his control was something that could not be allowed.

"We shall definitely have to have a talk with the manager of your account." Ragnorak used the transfer parchment on his desk to summon the Potter manager. "Have a seat, it should not take long for him to get here and then we will get this oversight corrected."

The Potter man was a pathetic looking man that had been instilled just shortly after the Potter's had died, his predecessor was caught in one of the raids that occurred at the same time that the Potters were attacked. "You summoned me?" There was a sneer of superiority on his face that most wizards seemed to wear when they had to deal with someone inhuman.

"You are aware that the heir to the family that you manage the accounts of has never received a key and it isn't likely that he has received the monthly statements for his account either?" Ragnorak's voice left no room for the man to misunderstand the matter at hand and he puffed up in indignation.

"The boy is under the guardianship of Albus Dumbledore and he assured me that the boy was being kept up to date with everything that he needed to know about his account. I have done everything that I am required to do so you will not take that tone with me goblin!" The man's voice was high and he turned toward the door as if the matter was settled but stopped in shock when a child's voice met his ears.

"I have never met this 'Albus Dumbledore' of which you speak so I can personally vouch for the fact that you have not done your job in the least." The man turned slowly and was met with icy emerald eyes that took his breath away. "I am in need of school supplies and have no money to buy them with, I was only told by my aunt that I could get money here."

Ragnorak pinned the now sweating man to the spot with a glare. "You have violated the treaty the wizards forced upon the goblin nation by breaking your own laws on top of the laws of the bank. From this point forward you will have no access to the bank, all your monies and property shall be given to the affected party and the guards will make sure that you are placed in a holding cell to await your trial." The man barely had time to let out an undignified squeal as the guards seemed to almost appear in the empty doorway and proceeded to haul the man away. "I am very sorry that your first journey to the bank was so unpleasant but we will make sure that this does not happen again. Is there any wizard that you would like to hand over the managing of your accounts to?"

Harry looked around the office before focusing on the goblin. "Is there any way to have a goblin looking over my accounts? A wizard may just do the same thing if this 'Dumbledore' character shows up and I think that the people that run this entire bank would be better suited to taking care of an account."

Ragnorak smiled and noted that the boy did not lean back like most of his kind were wont to do. "Yes, it is not often done but with your consent a goblin may become your account manager, do you have one in mind?"

"I have yet to meet very many goblins but the one that sent me to you was rather nice about it, I believe that his nameplate said 'Goldbrog'." Harry would have liked to have Griphook run his accounts but there would be no way to explain how he knew the goblin that ran one of the carts.

Ragnorak made a notation that let Goldbrog know his new status and turned back to the young boy. "It is done and you will be receiving statements as he gets your accounts back up to our standards and if you will simply fill out this form and allow a single drop of blood at the bottom we will rekey your vaults and issue you a Gringotts card at our expense for the oversight."

* * *

**Review and let me know what you think.**


	5. A Meeting in a Dressing Room

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, though being independantly wealthy would help loads with my exhausted muses. Of course so would the spontaneous combustion of my boss...as long as I had some marshmellows on hand.**

* * *

I walked out of the bank more than a bit dazed and hoping that nothing that happened was going to affect the advantage of knowing what was going to happen. I went in only really hoping that they would give me a replacement key and send me on my way. I didn't expect to reveal a horrible account manager and have the goblins searching through the whole account for anything that wasn't on the up and up. Hopefully Dumbledore doesn't find out and make the whole thing ten times harder than it should be, though its probably a rather vain hope if he remembers that he didn't get to send Hagrid with the key and sends someone to check on things.

The card they gave me had the Potter Family crest on the front with the Gringotts' symbol emblazoned on the back. The Potter Crest had two broadswords crossed over the front with what looked to be ivy twining them together where they crossed. The background featured a dogwood tree in full bloom in front of a setting sun. It was a beautiful picture that I had only seen once the first time through and it still stirred the same feeling of belonging that it did the first time. The Gringotts symbol was everything that one would expect from a goblin symbol, a pile of gold with two broadaxes crossed in front of it. I pushed both out of my mind as I slipped the card into my pocket and got ready to spend my day shopping and trying not to get recognized and assaulted by overly touchy witches or wizards. I would rather be surrounded by Death Eaters without a wand than deal with a group of Boy-Who-Lived fanatics, at least with the Death Eaters I wouldn't have to worry about suffocating in some strange witches bosoms. Somehow I don't think that Bella is really the type to snuggle, though with the baby talk you never really know.

The alley was practically bursting at the seams with families scurrying from shop to shop with bags either being shoved into the hands of house elves or shrunken down to fit in the pockets of harried looking parents. Most of the children were either looking around with fascination or with the disinterest that comes from shopping here each year and hardly ever getting anything special. I barely managed to make it into the Madam Malkins without nearly getting run over at least a half a dozen times, you'd think that they only had hours to buy everything that they needed and not over a month. The robe shop was blissfully empty for the moment, most children already had most of their clothes and could use the sizes off of them to order school robes. The only children that needed to come in to be sized were either the muggleborn students who had never been sized for robes and the purebloods that had to have everything fitted just right.

"Wait just a moment dear." Madam Malkins poked her head out of the back room for just a moment before disappearing and speaking to someone in the room before coming all the way into the room. Unfortunately I wasn't close enough to hear anything, not even whether the other person was male or female. "Hogwarts dear?"

"Yes, I also need a full wardrobe, though I have no idea what would look good on me." My lack of fashion sense was a point of amusement the first time around, but this time I intend on learning how to dress my best even if it kills me. Wouldn't be the first time for that after all. "Money isn't an issue and I would like the best."

Madam Malkins looked me over the same way that most of the girls in Hogwarts had every time I walked around in Dudley's old castoffs. It was a look that clearly said that if they had their way I wouldn't wear anything like this again and Madam Malkins had the permission to make it a reality. "You most definitely do need a completely different wardrobe and you will not be leaving in those _rags."_ She glanced back at the door that I knew led to the same room that I had shared with Malfoy before a light lit in her eyes and she smiled in a way that never meant anything good. "I have another young man back here but I'm sure that I'll be more than capable of outfitting you both, so in you get."

{F}

I entered the back with only a little bit of anxiety, after all, it couldn't be Malfoy. I made sure to keep my eyes forward and climbed onto the stool without looking at the other boy, I didn't like being stared at and I doubt he wants to be stared at either. Madam Malkins swept into the room like a hurricane and had my measurements taken without even giving me the chance to flinch before practically fluttering over to a curtained off area. "It shouldn't take too long to get the colors and styles decided for the both of you so you can relax and talk."

"Are you attending Hogwarts this year?" The boy's voice was only vaguely familiar and I looked up out of reflex to find myself staring at someone that I couldn't identify though I knew that we had met in my first life.

"Yes, I will be attending Hogwarts this year. My name is Harrison James Potter." The fact that only one eyebrow raised let me know that the boy was a pureblood and likely a Slytherin.

"I am Blaise Zabini and it is a pleasure to meet you, Harrison." The boys dark eyes roved over me for a moment before returning to my own. I could vaguely remember seeing Blaise in the hallways the first time but he kept to himself for the most part though it was well known that he and Draco knew each other from childhood. He was the only one that could give Hermione a definite run for her money, and beat her on a regular basis without trying. "I would like to ask a rather rude question of you if I may?"

"I suppose that I could handle a rude question or two." I was more than a little curious, most purebloods try to be polite at all times to someone that has status. Even though I'm thought of as a halfblood, I still hold the title of Lord Potter. Even Draco focused more on Hermione and Ron, who didn't have status other than a blood traitor.

"Is there a reason that you are dressed like a ragamuffin and are not attended to by your guardian?" Blaise looked once more at my clothes. "My mother would never let me out of the house with those on and she only left me alone to pick up a gift for my successful entry into Hogwarts."

"My current guardians are muggles that I wouldn't want to be attended to by and the clothes are the only ones that they would provide for me. Hopefully I will not have to suffer them for much longer." Even with the slightly better treatment I received this time the Dursleys refused to splurge on nice clothes, and even if they had I doubt they would have met the approval of a pureblood.

Blaise hummed in the back of his throat and nodded to himself. "The Madam is an expert at her trade and will not let you leave without proper clothes. I am also sure that my mother would not mind watching over you as well, it would not do for you to get mobbed without an adult to help you." There was a note of finality to his statement that told me that saying no was not an option, purebloods don't take to resistance well when actually trying to help.

{F}

* * *

**Short I know but lately I haven't had the energy to think, let alone be creative.**


	6. The Lady Zabini

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Sorry for the wait. I bought a new home and have finally concluded a new job hunt. Hopefully I'll have more time to devote to my stories from here on out.**

* * *

The Madam was indeed fully intending to give me an entire wardrobe before I left. The amount of cloth samples that she brought into the room to test against my coloring was almost staggering. Zabini seemed far too amused for his own good as far as I am concerned.

During several of her 'tests' we found out that I am allergic to several of the 'cheaper' materials that I had worn the first time around. Several of the materials that I reacted to made the Madam light up like a Christmas tree for some reason before rushing to the back to get another group of materials that felt so much better against my skin.

Blaise had a smirk plastered on his face the entire time. One of the assistants was tending to him, a young woman that was a fair sight calmer than the Madam.

It wasn't until well over an hour later that the Madam finally let me leave the stool and collapse into a chair next to the still smirking Blaise. "My mother is already waiting in the front of the store, perhaps we should make our way toward her before the Madam decides that you need another article of clothing?"

I don't think I have ever moved faster than I did in that moment, especially since the Madam looked at me as if she was going to force me back on that accursed stool.

{F}

Sabrina was a woman that knew what she wanted in life and had no qualms about doing whatever was necessary to get it. When she was just a child her mother had told her that one day she would become the wife of a wealthy man and she would gain respect and more money than she could hope to spend and her only task would be to maintain her image as a lady and bear an heir. It was a thought that made her stomach roll, she was no doll to idly stand by and let a man take care of her. She would be the one with the power.

Her first husband was Gregoiri Zabini, a strong Italian pureblood with interest features and a delightful olive skin tone. She bred him an heir, her beautiful Blaise and fulfilled the contract her father had written. It was unfortunate that her husband fell to such a horrible death a month after Blaise was born, truly a sad occasion. She held her head high throughout the will reading, with everything going to her as the Lady, and immediately set out to find another husband. She had gained quite the reputation over the years as none of her husbands lasted more than two years, but there was never a shortage of pureblood men willing to marry her for her beauty.

Blaise was her pride and joy though, more than her very well stocked vault and all of the pretty things she had bought over the years, even more important than the political power she now had no matter which country she went to. He had his father's Italian features and skin tone with just enough of her to soften the edges. There was no doubt in her mind that he would be the focus of much attention upon his majority, though he showed no inclination toward her history with love. He seemed more content to find just one person to spend the rest of his life with, always reading romances even at his young age.

She could admit that she was just the slightest bit shocked when she entered Madam Malkins to find that her son was teasing another boy with soft, fae-like features mercilessly. While he did love romances, he was never the one to simply strike up a conversation with another. His only friend was the Malfoy heir and the two were rather similar in personality though her Blaise was a fair sight more mature, not that that was particularly hard with the way that Narcissa spoiled the poor boy.

{F}

Blaise was surprisingly easy to get along with, not that I had spared him a moment's glance the first time through. He was always the one that stayed out of everything and watched it all go down from the shadows. He's every bit as sharp as most Slytherins with an added something that makes him more interesting. Now if only he would stop making fun of my height, or lack thereof as the case may be.

"I'm surprised that the Madam didn't argue with you about not needing Hogwarts robes for a couple more years, you hardly look seven let alone eleven." He seemed to find my earlier friendliness a ticket allowing him to tease me.

"It is not my fault that I can't steal enough food to get to your abundant size." Judging from the look on his face I should not have said that, I don't know why I did.

"Well, not that it is not interesting to listen to my child making friends but I would like to know to whom it is." The woman's voice did not prepare me for the reality of her appearance.

I had heard of Mrs. Zabini the first time through, though many tales were whispered between adults when they thought no one was listening. She was the Black Widow of the Wizarding World. She went though husbands like the world went through fashion trends and with about as much concern. She was friends, or perhaps allies, with families on both sides of the war and had managed to survive as a completely neutral party. Neither side gave her a moments trouble and she simply continued to add family names to her repertoire.

I managed to stand with more grace than I had anticipated and pulled a small half bow, she was not my equal as a male heir to several strong families, but she was a Lady to many names. "It is very nice to make your acquaintance, Lady Zabini. I am Harrison James Potter." It was strange that no matter who she married she always wore the last name of her first husband, perhaps to keep her last name the same as her son.

"It is most unusual to find a young man of the Potter linage with such excellent manners." Lady Zabini looked to her son with soft eyes. "Have you been fitted Blaise? There is still much to do."

Blaise looked my way only briefly with an unreadable look before refocusing on his mother. "I have and so has Harrison. He is without a guardian to watch over him and I think that he should go with us to retrieve the rest of his supplies."

I knew that he had planned to have his mother watch over me but I somehow didn't believe that he would actually go through with it.

Lady Zabini didn't seem the slightest bit surprised by her son's words though that could have been more to do with her upbringing than anything else. "It would be an honor to watch over young Mr. Potter while he obtains his first year supplies. We should hurry however as there is much to do and not nearly enough time to do it in."

{F}

Shopping with the Lady Zabini was something one can hardly describe with common words. She swept into each store as if she was entering her home and demanded all the attention without coming off as arrogant or rude. Every shop owner catered to her every whim and didn't pay Blaise or myself any attention unless she made mention of us. It was probably the easiest shopping trip in Diagon Alley I had ever had.

She seemed to know exactly what would be needed without glancing once at a list and purchased plenty of extra supplies and books for both Blaise and myself. She brushed off any attempts I made to pay for my own things and simply stated that she had more than enough money to pay for another child's things and that being Blaise's friend was more than enough of a repayment.

{F}

The one shop that I dreaded going into the most was the last one that Lady Zabini had on her mental list. I found myself staring at the front door of Ollivander's as if it was going to reach out and grab me. I could clearly remember being told that I had the brother wand to Voldemort and that they could expect great things from me. Would my trip back change my wand or would I still have the same Holly wand that I could still remember holding in my hand both in class and on the battlefield.

"Come now, child. The buying of a child's first wand is a special occasion and we shouldn't delay any more than we already have." Lady Zabini had a calm look on her face but I could almost swear that her eyes held worry.

* * *

**Review and let me know what you think. I just couldn't see added Ollivander's to the end of the chapter, he pretty much deserves his own chapter.**


	7. An Old Friend in a New Life

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**I apologize for the wait, but real life makes no apologies.**

* * *

Ollivanders was every bit as dust covered and creepy as it was the first time around though it also glowed with magic that I hadn't seen the first time around. The magic almost danced along the shelves and made it easy to find the old man where he was hidden behind a particularly dusty set of shelves. Lady Zabini didn't seem the least bit surprised by the old man's appearance and Blaise only tensed his shoulders to show his surprise.

Ollivander looked at Lady Zabini with his swirling silver eyes and seemed to appraise her from head to toe in only a moment. "I see that you are putting that wand of yours to very good use. Yours was Ebony and dragon heartstring, 14in. A wand for controlling the shadows and of an unbreakable will." Ollivander gave his normal cryptic little smile. "It is still working well for you I would presume?"

Lady Zabini gave what I can only describe as the world's smallest respectful smile. "It has served me very well. I can only hope that both Blaise's and Harry's wands serve them half as well as my own, though any of your wands are beyond reproach." Respectful and icy, a true pureblood woman from her head to her toes.

Ollivander smiled happily before turning to Blaise without missing a beat. "I am sure that there is a wand here that would be more than happy to bond with these young men. Now which is your wand hand?"

What followed was a search that almost put the first one that I went through to shame. Every wand that was placed in Blaise's had either started to shake its way violently out of his hand or would start to smoke as if it was preparing to explode. Every wand added to the pile of rejected wands seem to make the smile on the old man's face increase in size until it almost looked like his face was going to split in two. Blaise only looked more and more frustrated with the entire process, almost looking ready to blow up, a moment before the next wand to touch his hand gave off a cool, almost biting wind, and seemed to absorb all of the light in the room.

"Ah yes, a yew branch soaked in the blood of a Dementor with a core of crushed ice fairy wings. Quite the unusual mixture of ingredients, you will be slow to anger but the ensuing blizzard will be feared." He seemed to drift off a bit as he stared at a random shelf.

I almost jumped when his eyes snapped to mine and his entire countenance seemed to change to a more serious tone. "I was waiting for your day to walk into my shop young Lord Potter. Many in the Wizarding World expect great things to come from you. It is hard to not put such high expectations upon one who managed the impossible at such a tender age; hopefully you will be able to blossom despite their attention." He gazed through me for a moment before turning to his shelves without asking for my wand hand. "I doubt that the wands that would not work with the young Zabini will work with you; your power would not accept anything less than something as unique as you yourself are. "

Somehow I knew exactly which wand he was going to bring me and even though the thought of having the same wand as the first time in my hand brought all the memories back I can't even imagine using any other wand except, perhaps, for Voldemort's wand. I watched with bated breath as he pulled the dusty box from the shelf and reverently opened it to reveal the holly wand inside.

"Perhaps this wand will be able to match such a unique young man." Ollivander didn't touch the wand but held the box out so I could do it myself. Holding the wand in my hand was like coming home, everything I had been through didn't seem so bad when the magic of the wand met with my inner core and they melded together. Magic without a wand was certainly possible and not extremely hard but nothing could compare to the feel of a compatible wand in your hand. "It is somewhat curious that you would be destined for the brother wand of the one that gave you that scar. It does prove, however, that we can indeed expect great things from you. After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things, terrible, but great."

(F)

Blaise officially did not like Ollivander. The man had surprised him, not an easy feat, and one that he did not appreciate. He had made him try half the wands in the shop despite the fact that Blaise strongly suspected that the man could see auras and could therefore see which wand would be a match, but more than anything else, he was angry at what the man had done with Harry. Even though he had not known the boy very long he knew that he did not want to be the center of any kind of attention and that he was more than happy to look out at the world from a dark corner. Ollivander had made it a point to talk about how much the world was going to be watching him and then he gives him the brother wand to the one that killed his parents. The fact that that was the wand for Harry didn't make it any better in Blaise's eyes, especially not with how he had made sure that Harry knew it was the Dark Lord's wand's brother.

Harry had smiled and thanked the man before they had left but there was something in his eyes that made Blaise unhappy. Luckily his mother seemed to sense the same thing and steered them toward one of his favorite restaurants on Diagon Alley for an early dinner. He took Harry by the hand and made sure that none of the wizards and witches rushing around the alley knocked the still distracted boy to the ground.

(F)

I actually found myself dreading the end of the day, both of the Zabinis were excellent company and there's really no telling when the controls on my relatives will finally snap. I made sure to thank Lady Zabini and promise Blaise that I would meet him on the train before I made my way to the other side of the Leaky Cauldron and summoned the Knight Bus to get me back to Privet Drive.

The house was anything but a welcome sight and the walk up to the door with my new trunk, Lady Zabini insisted on a multi-compartment one with tons of extra features for security, was longer than it had any right to be. The door creaked slightly when I opened it and I closed it gently before making my way up the stairs without looking into the living room where all of the Dursleys were bound to be at this hour. Dudley is probably watching some sports show with Vernon while Petunia sits in her favorite chair and tries to ignore everything but her newest hobby, which is currently knitting. My room was a little too warm but it was easy to ignore when I thought about September first and the beginning of what would hopefully be a completely different life, this time I am going to make sure that things turn out better than they did before.

(F)

The time leading up to my birthday definitely proved that the spell probably wouldn't hold for much longer. Petunia seemed to be stuck between treating me the way the spell told her and treating me the way she did the first time, with scorn and a large dose of distaste and she changed between the two without any warning. Dudley was fairly tame although he occasionally looked like he was confused about whether he should be beating me up or ignoring me. Vernon's behavior was the one that worried me the most though.

Every once in a while his eyes would lock onto me when we were in the same room for more than just a couple of minutes before he was suddenly look away. It was the look deep in his eyes in those moments that unsettled me; it was the look of a predator that was just waiting for its prey to relax. It reminded me of the feel of having Death Eater on my tail and knowing that it was only a matter of time before I slowed down enough for them to catch me. I won't be caught this time though; somehow I have to make very sure that I am not here when the spell truly wears off.

* * *

**Review and let me know what you think, Ollivander is difficult to write.**


	8. Meeting The Dragon

**Disclaimer:I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

I was extremely thankful for the skills that I had relearned from my first life as Vernon barely stopped when he let me off at the station without even looking at me as he ordered me to get out of the car. I ducked my head to avoid the gazes of the people milling around as he sped off and rolled my trunk into the station as quickly as I could without running into any of the people. I desperately tried to avoid tipping Hedwig's cage as she watched me with younger eyes than I was used to. Lady Zabini had seemed amused when I had picked Hedwig up the moment that I laid eyes on her and refused to set her down, not that she was complained of course.

The station was every bit as crowded as it was the first time and I dodged both businesspeople and harried families as I made my way toward platform 9 ¾. The familiar sight of the platform was a sight for sore eyes, especially without Mrs. Weasley trying to smother me or yelling at the twins for something that they hadn't even done yet. They probably got most of their troublemaking ideas from the things that she told them not to do. I made sure to get to the platform with more than enough time to find an empty compartment so I could avoid the press of the last minute arrivals as they rushed to get into the train seconds before it was due to leave.

It was calming to slowly make my way down the train at my own pace and look for a compartment to settle down in. There were already several older pureblood students gathering in the compartments toward the front of the train so I decided on a compartment about halfway down the train before stowing my trunk above the seat and locking the door on my way back to the platform to wait for Blaise. Something about him was calming, I wish that I would have known him as more than a shadow the first time through. Hopefully that will change along with my relationship with Draco. I made the mistake of letting others make decisions about who I should hang out with the first time and found myself surrounded by traitors and cowards who only wanted someone to do all their fighting for them and then disappear like a good little soldier.

You could literally feel the moment that Lady Zabini entered the platform, everything seemed to slow down to a crawl and the newly formed crowd parted quickly as she swept across the platform with an amused Blaise following behind her with a small smirk floating across his features. They came to a stop in front of me without seeming to have to look for me at all. "Good morning, Mr. Potter. It's good to see that you managed to find the platform, Blaise was slightly worried that we would need to find you and rescue you from unintelligent muggles." Blaise managed to look sheepish without changing the look on his face. "Have you already acquired a compartment?"

"I have chosen one. I decided to wait for Blaise so that we could ride together." I smiled just a little as several witches and wizards figured out who Lady Zabini was talking to but didn't want to get any closer to her to smother me; I am beginning to love Lady Zabini.

The Lady looked around the platform with a look that clearly said that everyone she saw was so far below her that they didn't even deserve to have her look at them. "You boys should hurry onto the train before more of the other 'children' arrive with their parents. One should avoid prolonged contact with rubber-necked gawkers, it might start catching." It was amazing to watch full grown wizards and witches simultaneously turn bright red and pretend that they weren't just staring.

{F}

"How was your summer, were you able to get any reading done?" Blaise took the seat across from mine and leaned back with a small quirk of his lips that could almost be called a smile.

"It was a summer. I managed to get through all of the course books and several of the additional books that I picked up. I can only hope that Hogwarts library has enough books to keep me busy." I hadn't had anything better to do so I had almost literally devoured the books that I had gotten and realized half way through that there was simply so much that I had missed with Hermione and Ron making sure that I never had time to myself. I started with Transfiguration and simply couldn't stop until I had run out of books to read. The library wouldn't know what hit it.

"It sounds like you'll be a shoe in for either Slytherin or Ravenclaw. Hufflepuffs tend to hover around the average level since they don't want to do better than their friends and Gryffindors are to focused on their 'bravery' and 'pride' to get anything done." Blaise leaned forward and looked out at the people bustling around the station. "Draco Malfoy should be coming soon enough; his family prefers to arrive just in time to have the most people see them so more people can be awed by their wealth and beauty." Blaise looked back at me with a dramatic swoon before falling back as if he was feeling faint and I couldn't stop the giggle, I mean, the manly chuckle.

"Should I be afraid of his ego inflating and swallowing me whole then?" I made sure to insert a shudder and peered around as if a creature was going to pop out of the shadows and eat me.

Blaise already had a deeper laugh than I ever had the first time through and probably this one as well. "It's mostly an act that they put on for the benefit of all of the sheep of the ministry and the muggleborns that stare in awe of anything slightly magical. Having people view them as a family of cold but beautiful aristocrats makes it easier for them to get people to do what they want. Draco is a little on the arrogant side but with how much his family is worth and how much his ancestors have accomplished its more pride in his family than the arrogance some of the lower purebloods carry around."

{F}

Ronald Weasley hated being the youngest brother. All of his older brothers had already claimed their place and have pretty much done everything there was to do to stand out in the family without leaving anything for him to prove himself with.

Charlie was an athlete all through Hogwarts and had plenty of O's along with the position of Head Boy. After Hogwarts he went and got mastery in Care of Magical Creatures in record time before running of to become a Dragon Tamer. Every time that he came home he had a new burn and a story that made their mum shriek and made their dad just gets a proud look on his face.

Bill was also an athlete and Head Boy but he was also a real ladies man, whatever that means. There wasn't a school year that went by where Bill didn't have some girl sending him Christmas gifts and their mum was always complaining about how he needed to find the 'right one'. He got mastery in Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, whatever that was, and became a Curse Breaker for Gringotts, their mum almost had kittens when he came home with a fang earring and long hair.

Percy was the model student that never got in trouble and got better grades than Ron knew he would ever be able to get by sticking his nose in a book all the time. Their mum was so proud that he obeyed all the rules and got O's on all of his exams. She was sure that he was going to be a prefect and then Head Boy and probably get a high paying job in the Ministry.

The twins had troublemaking down to a science. They didn't care about their grades but they were still so much smarter than he was. They figured out all kinds of new pranks that he had never seen in Zonko's just by sitting in their room and talking things out. They were currently trying to beat the school record for the most detentions in a single year but they always seemed to fall a bit short of their 'idols' though they didn't tell anybody who those idols were. Their parents kept trying to get them to follow the rules, at least in school, but they did their own thing and would probably be famous pranksters when they grew up.

Ginny was going to make a name just by being the first female in the Weasley family in like five generations. Their dad said that the reason that there weren't any female Weasleys had something to do with the Malfoys and that Ginny meant the curse was lifting. She could glide through life without doing anything and people would still know her for being a female Weasley. It just isn't fair.

Ronald had a plan now though. Dumbledore had come by to talk to his parents about keeping an eye out for the Boy-Who-Lived at the station just in case his relatives didn't know how to get to the platform and help him out if they could and that gave him a wonderful idea. If he managed to became the best friend of someone that famous than he would be set for life no matter what; he would have something that would always set him apart from all of his brothers and he would be able to do anything he wanted in life without having to do all of the hard work that Percy was doing and he wouldn't have to be as inventive as the twins either. All he had to do was find him and make sure that he became his best friend, which surely wouldn't be that hard.

{F}

Blaise was right about the Malfoys; they managed to glide into the station with their heads held at the perfect angle and every hair in the right place. Every witch and wizard in eyeshot was mesmerized by the family as they managed to say their goodbyes without breaking decorum once and parted without the crying and carrying on that some of the families were dealing with. It was over in just a couple of minutes but I could tell that they made an impact in the minds of all of the adults and children present.

Draco slid into the compartment without even looking at me before he collapsed next to Blaise with a heavy sigh. "All of those plebeians should know better than to stare at us like that. Did they think that we were going to do tricks?"

"They are probably not used to seeing children that aren't sobbing and clinging to their mothers or trying to prove that they're adults while their mothers sob and carry on." It was fun to see Draco Malfoy jump and slam his mask down just a second after I saw the shock on his face. "I am Harrison James Potter."

Draco looked me over from head to toe for a moment before extending his hand. "I am Draco Lucian Malfoy; it's a pleasure to meet you."

I had an extremely dizzying moment of déjà vu before reaching out to grasp his hand firmly, noticing idly that his hands were soft but there were signs of stress wherever his hand would have touched a broom handle. "It is also a pleasure to make the acquaintance of a friend of Blaise's."

* * *

**Review and let me know what you think.**


End file.
